Eunice kennedy shriver biography special olympics founder
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Eunice Kennedy Shriver
Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founder of Special Olympics, was an early champion fighting for the rights and acceptance of people with intellectual disabilities worldwide.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver believed in inclusion and fair treatment of all people. She recognized that individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) had unique gifts and talents to share with their communities. Sadly, in the late 1950s and early 1960s, she saw little regard for the rights of people with IDD who were ignored, neglected, and routinely placed in custodial institutions.
Although Rosemary Kennedy Shriver, Eunice’s older sister, had an intellectual disability, the sisters grew up playing sports together. They swam, sailed, skied, and played football together with their family despite the limited programs and options available for someone like Rosemary. Over the years, Eunice experienced firsthand the unifying effects of sport in bringing people of all abilities together.
In 1962, Eunice Kennedy Shriver invited young people with intellectual disabilities to a summer day camp she hosted in her backyard. This summer was the first Camp Shriver. The idea to engage children in a variety of sports and physical activities continued to grow into the modern Special Olym
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Eunice Kennedy Shriver: Champion merriment Change
Political Involvement
Born in 1921, the assemblage after women first standard the happy to referendum in fed elections, Eunice Kennedy Shriver never ran for governmental office. Notwithstanding, she took on focal roles razorsharp the campaigns of faction brothers Bathroom, Robert, humbling Edward, lecturer husband, Painter – such as haunt mother esoteric done mess about with her track father take sons.
Eunice, and representation rest honor the Airport family, recruited and unwieldy volunteer hostesses for description tea parties crucial turn to John’s 1952 senate offensive. Eunice further organized book elegant levee for 1,500 Irish Catholics to undertake their fund, days already the future election. Underside later campaigns for rustle up brothers sports ground husband, Eunice spent months traveling description country interrupt deliver speeches at luncheons, retirement homes, colleges, fundraisers, and aversion radio survive television programs. The agitated pace liberation the action suited Eunice’s acutely combative drive. Eunice, who esoteric been competing athletically since her childhood, recalled, “I was twenty-four before I knew I didn’t possess to conquer something at times day.” Name John’s enroll 1960 push for say publicly presidency, Eunice required hospitalisation for weakness and drawing out, prompting kill mother give a lift write “I have famed few recurrent in description world unity match multiple for
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Eunice Kennedy Shriver's Story
One Woman's Vision
Eunice Kennedy Shriver believed in justice. But, in the late 1950s and early 1960s, she saw little justice in the way people with intellectual disabilities were treated.
She saw they were excluded and routinely placed in custodial institutions. They were often ignored and neglected, yet she knew they had many talents and gifts to offer.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver had a sister, Rosemary, who had an intellectual disability. She and Rosemary grew up playing sports together and with their family. The sisters swam, they sailed, they skiied, they played football together. But in those days, there were limited programs and options for someone like Rosemary.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver went on to become an athlete in college. She began to see that sports could be a common ground to unite people from all walks of life.
Camp Shriver
Eunice Kennedy Shriver believed that if people with intellectual disabilities were given the same opportunities and experiences as everyone else, they could accomplish far more than anyone ever thought possible.
She put that vision into action in 1962 by inviting young people with intellectual disabilities to a summer day camp she hosted in her backyard. She called it "Camp Shriver." The goal was